


Neighbor, Neighbor

by CloversDreams



Category: Given (Anime), Given (Manga)
Genre: Aged up characters, Domestic Fluff, Hiiragi is too pretty, M/M, Neighbor au, Pining, Post High School, Shizu is quickly smitten, animals bringing people together, aren’t we all though, kittens!!!!!, not childhood friends, theyre in love your honor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:28:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22820989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloversDreams/pseuds/CloversDreams
Summary: One kitten jumped over the side of the box and took off running down the hall. Shizusumi gasped and reached for it. Before he could even cry out, he froze in place. The kitten had come to a halt not too far away. The next door over, in fact. Shizusumi’s eyes widened as he watched the little fuzzball stand on its hind legs and paw at his grumpy neighbor’s shin.Oh no. Shizusumi was instantly ready to apologize. Of all the times that they could run into one another, this was terrible. He was positive that there was a death-glare trained upon him. He looked at the blond’s face and the words he’d been ready to utter got stuck in his throat. His neighbor, the guy that looked like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed every single day… had a smile on his face.Shizusumi’s heart skipped a beat at the sight. Oh. He’d been so wrong this whole time. The guy wasn’t pretty at all. He was downrightgorgeous. With the way his usually hard features softened as he looked at the kitten he could probably be a model or something. Wow. How had they been neighbors for so long and Shizusumi never noticed this? His throat suddenly felt dry. Now he really didn’t know how to go about starting a conversation with the guy.
Relationships: Kashima Hiiragi/Yagi Shizusumi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 76





	Neighbor, Neighbor

Ever since he’d graduated high school and gotten an apartment on his own, Shizusumi lived a quiet life. He woke up every morning and followed the same routine before he headed off to work. He didn’t have any complaints about the slightly mundane activities. No one bothered him and he was happy to have a space all to himself. While sometimes his apartment felt a bit too empty, that was nothing that turning on the TV for a little background noise couldn’t fix. All in all, he was content.

He stepped out of his apartment and pulled the door shut then locked it. Shizusumi liked having the space at the end of the hallway. He didn’t really know why. He stuffed his keys into his pocket then turned and headed down the hall towards the elevator. Maybe. Perhaps he’d take the stairs today. He’d figure that out when he got there.

As he passed the door nearest his, he glanced at it. His neighbor of just over a year now. Every once in a while he would be leaving as the guy arrived, or vice versa. That was the most they ever saw one another. The blond always seemed to have a frown on his face for some reason. Even so, Shizusumi had to admit that he was actually kind of pretty. At least from what little glances he’d seen, anyway.

Part of him wondered what it might be like to strike up a conversation with his mysterious neighbor. The other part of him said loud and clear that he had no idea what he’d even say. He’d prefer not to make himself look like a fool without basic social skills. With that in mind, he opted to say nothing if and when their paths crossed. Just as well. The guy completely ignored him, anyway. It was most likely that he didn’t know he existed.

When Shizusumi reached the end of the hall he pushed the thought from his mind. He made a decision to go with the stairs today and headed to the left. He heard a soft ding that announced the arrival of the elevator just as the door to the stairwell closed behind him. Talk about timing. Oh well. He didn’t think about it and simply continued on his way. His day wasn’t going to start itself, after all.

Shizusumi had a blank expression on his face when he returned from work that evening. He watched the elevator doors open to reveal the familiar hallway. He looked down at the cardboard box in his hands and let out an exasperated sigh when three sets of curious eyes blinked at him. The kittens within began to mew at him _again_. They’d been doing that nonstop since his coworker shoved the box into his arms.

He didn’t know what gave the woman the impression that he was the best person to take in the little things. He’d never mentioned liking cats. Heck, he wasn’t sure if he did or not. He’d never really had any experience with them. He supposed that his first real impression of them was that they were small and noisy. It was quite a hassle to try and keep them confined to their box on the car ride home. Why the heck wasn’t there a lid or something?

If that woman hadn’t seemed so desperate to be rid of the kittens, he would’ve turned her down for sure. In the end he supposed he sympathized with them a little. He realized that their next stop would probably be an overcrowded shelter. Having been a foster kid all his life, he wouldn’t wish that upon anyone no matter their species. And that was the not so interesting tale about how he ended up standing outside of his apartment with a cardboard box containing three kittens mewing at him. He let out an exasperated sigh.

Shizusumi held the box in his left arm and fished his keys out of his pocket with his other hand. It was an awkward struggle to keep the box balanced and get the key into the lock. He sighed then finally set the box down between his feet. He had a serious expression on his face as he looked at the kittens and muttered, “Stay.”

But of course, he was completely ignored. One kitten jumped over the side of the box and took off running down the hall. Shizusumi gasped and reached for it. Before he could even cry out, he froze in place. The kitten had come to a halt not too far away. The next door over, in fact. Shizusumi’s eyes widened as he watched the little fuzzball stand on its hind legs and paw at his grumpy neighbor’s shin.

Oh no. Shizusumi was instantly ready to apologize. Of all the times that they could run into one another, this was terrible. He was positive that there was a death-glare trained upon him. He looked at the blond’s face and the words he’d been ready to utter got stuck in his throat. His neighbor, the guy that looked like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed every single day… had a smile on his face.

Shizusumi’s heart skipped a beat at the sight. Oh. He’d been so wrong this whole time. The guy wasn’t pretty at all. He was downright _gorgeous_. With the way his usually hard features softened as he looked at the kitten he could probably be a model or something. Wow. How had they been neighbors for so long and Shizusumi never noticed this? His throat suddenly felt dry. Now he _really_ didn’t know how to go about starting a conversation with the guy.

He stiffened when the other two kittens ran past his feet to join their sibling. Shizusumi reached out for them but couldn’t say a word. He watched in awe as the blond crouched down and pet the cats. He continued to smile as he talked sweetly to them. Shizusumi never thought he’d see such a sight in a million years. He couldn’t move, never mind speak. He honestly had no idea what to do with himself in that moment.

The blond scooped up all three kittens then brought them back to their box. He set them down gently and picked it up. He took a second to shush their outraged mews. Then he turned and motioned towards the door as he asked, “You gonna open it or just stand there looking like an idiot?”

“Oh!” Shizusumi missed the lock entirely twice before he finally managed to open the door on the third attempt. He was speechless as the blond waltzed into his apartment without a care in the world. He watched the blond set the box down then stand upright and cross his arms. Shizusumi shut the door behind them as soon as the kittens started to hop out of the box. He eyed his neighbor curiously and muttered, “Th…anks…”

“Don’t mention it, you’re clearly hopeless.”

That was probably meant to sound like it had some bite behind it, but such was impossible to hear when the blond knelt down to pet the tiny kittens again. Shizusumi was at a loss. What should he do? What would someone else do? Offer a guest refreshments, yeah. That sounded about right.

“Do you want a cup of tea, uhh…”

“Hiiragi,” the blond muttered without looking up from the kittens.

“I’m Shizusumi,” he replied. When the blond looked up at him and their eyes met Shizusumi’s pulse started to race. His own eyes widened. The way the golden one’s he looked into shined was otherworldly. If given the chance he’d stare into them all day. Shizusumi pursed his lips together and prayed that his burning ears weren’t noticeable. He’d never felt anything quite like this before and he was a bit overwhelmed. He had no idea what it meant.

“First time?”

“Huh!” Shizusumi jolted in surprise.

“Owning cats, I mean,” Hiiragi clarified.

“Oh, uh, yeah.” Shizusumi nodded. He rubbed the back of his neck and asked, “Is it that obvious?”

“You do have this confused aura about you,” Hiiragi snickered.

_That has absolutely nothing to do with the cats and everything to do with my present company!_ Shizusumi bit back his response. It wasn’t like he could say something like that out loud. He managed to offer a grunt, but that was it.

Hiiragi blinked at him then turned back towards the kittens and muttered, “Do you have green tea?”

“Sure.” Shizusumi kicked off his shoes and headed towards the kitchen on autopilot. There was way too much going on right now for him to process. He took the chance to breathe in deeply and clear his head as he prepared the tea. It was fine. His guest was probably about to leave after he had the drink, then things would go back to normal. It’d be like none of it ever happened. He picked up the mug, which was a shade of gold oddly reminiscent of his neighbor’s eyes, and headed out of the kitchen.

He found Hiiragi in the living room. The blond was all smiles as he leaned his chin against the back of the couch and let two of the curious kittens bat at his hair. The third one was on his lap and purring up a storm as he pet it. Shizusumi couldn’t help but stare yet again. He wondered for a moment if he’d fallen into a dream. Would his dream consist of something like this? Great, he’d lost his mind at some point.

Hiiragi turned towards him and narrowed his eyes. His patented frown was back on his face as he grunted, “You gonna hand that over before it gets cold, or what?”

Ah. Right. Back to reality. Shizusumi didn’t say a word. He simply walked around to the front of the couch and offered the blond the mug. He was given a soft grunt of thanks as the guy took it. Since he didn’t know what else to do, he just sat down as well. The kittens were immediately curious about him and approached to sniff. He offered his hand and then pat them each on the head in turn.

“You seem kind of out of it, so I guess I’ll just go ahead and ask,” Hiiragi declared loudly. He held the mug in his hands close to his mouth, looked at Shizusumi out of the corner of his eye, then added, “are you prepared for this? Do you have the proper supplies? How about food?”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting to come home with them today. It was a surprise.” Shizusumi admitted. He tilted his head then shrugged. “I’ve got milk in the fridge.”

Hiiragi stiffened. He turned towards Shizusumi with an offended look upon his face then hissed, “They’re too old for that! They need solid food! Besides, cats can’t properly digest milk after a certain age!”

“Oh.” Shizusumi blinked a few times. He guessed this was his day to learn all sorts of cat facts he’d never know otherwise. The way that Hiiragi grinded his teeth made it obvious that he had a lot more to say on the subject but he was holding back for some reason.

“The brand and contents of the food matter a lot too,” Hiiragi muttered into his cup. He took another sip and continued to frown. There seemed to be a war brewing within him. When one of the sides finally won, he set his mug onto the nearby coffee table and sighed, “You know what? It’s something that needs to be explained with a visual, so I’ll just show you myself.”

“You’ll _huh_?” Shizusumi simply blinked at him.

Hiiragi was on his feet not a moment later. He held his chin in the air and narrowed his eyes at the still sitting man then grumbled, “Let’s go, already. I don’t have all day.”

It felt like the mere blink of an eye and suddenly Shizusumi found himself standing outside of the nearest pet supply shop. He only vaguely recalled driving there while his apparent guest chatted up a storm next to him. For someone that hadn’t said a word to him in nearly a year, Hiiragi sure couldn’t seem to stop talking now. Maybe he was making up for lost time. He didn’t know.

The two of them stepped into the store and Hiiragi motioned towards the carts with his thumb. “You’ll need one of those.”

Shizusumi didn’t think that cat food would be that heavy, but whatever. He grabbed a cart as instructed and followed the blond. It seemed like a decent enough plan as Hiiragi looked like he knew his way around the place. Shizusumi had to admit that he was a bit overwhelmed by all the seemingly random cat facts getting tossed his way. Not to mention the blond had a specific reason for every little item he tossed into the cart. Shizusumi could barely keep up. It was nearly full before they even made it to the food isle.

He stopped walking and frowned at all the items he had to push around. When the blond stopped and turned towards him as well Shizusumi shook his head then sighed, “Is all this really necessary?”

“Neces–!”

Hiiragi had that offended look on his face. Shizusumi knew he was about to be lectured again. He braced himself for the verbal impact in 3… 2… 1…

“Are you really so stupid!” Hiiragi started to pick up various items in the cart and hold them up. “These are for sleeping. You need a bunch to put in different places. These are bowls for the food cause you don’t serve cats on your own dinner wear. These are toys to keep them entertained. This is the litter box which I’m not even going to explain because if you don’t know that much you have no business owning cats.”

Shizusumi offered him a noncommittal grunt. He wouldn’t say as much out loud but yeah, all the items made a lot of sense. He just hadn’t had a chance to process all this yet. Not only did he have three new mouths to feed, but they had other needs as well. It was a lot to deal with.

They made their way to the food aisle and Shizusumi stood there while Hiiragi explained the difference between wet and dry food. He was adamant about the wet stuff being superior. Then he debated what flavors the kittens might like. In the end they opted for a few different ones to see which would be a hit.

After that it was finally time to checkout. While he put the bags into the trunk Shizusumi realized that it certainly was a good thing they’d driven to the store. There was absolutely no way they’d be able to carry all the bags back had they walked. He wondered if Hiiragi knew this beforehand. Seemed likely. He shut the trunk and meandered to the driver’s side then got into the car.

He supposed that a small consolation about all this drama was the fact that he got to watch Hiiragi speak so passionately about something. The guy had gone from ignoring his existence to outright insulting his intelligence in a matter of hours. Shizusumi couldn’t help but find amusement in that. The blond was a wildly different person than he’d imagined. Especially when cats were involved. Frankly, he wanted to see that side of the guy more often. That gave him an idea.

He kept his gaze on the road as he drove and muttered, “Thanks for all your help today. I’d be at a loss without your assistance.”

“Yeah, well, that’s true,” Hiiragi snorted. He kept his gaze focused on the world that passed by his window.

Shizusumi glanced at him out of the corner of his eye then said, “They took a liking to you, I could tell. You can come by my place and visit them whenever you want.”

Hiiragi jumped then turned towards him and blinked. Those golden eyes of his shined with wonderment at the suggestion. It was a good thing Shizusumi was sitting down. Had Hiiragi looked at him with eyes like those before… well, his knees probably would’ve given out. He turned his attention back to the road and gripped the steering wheel just a bit tighter. He had no idea how one gaze could possibly have so much power over him.

*

Shizusumi sure was glad he didn’t have to work the next day. He needed the time to unwind. He spent most of the day figuring out what places he didn’t want the rambunctious kittens getting into. Basically everywhere they wanted to go. It certainly was a lot of work keeping up with them, but once they settled down it wasn’t so bad. They were really cute, after all. Affectionate too. That was nice in itself.

All day long he did his best not to think about Hiiragi. Of course that proved to be an impossible task. Not only was the guy outrageously attractive, he was also really caring. It might’ve come across as him being rude but Shizusumi could tell that he truly wanted what was best for the kittens. There was kindness in him that he didn’t seem to want to show the world. Shizusumi wanted to see it again. He wished to unravel the mystery that was his neighbor.

He glanced at his phone and saw that it was just about dinner time. Though he supposed he had enough time to watch one more show before he had to deal with that. The kitten on his lap was comfortable and he didn’t feel like disturbing it. The others rested in their nearby beds. So Shizusumi settled in. His stomach could wait.

It was just about time for the episode to end when Shizusumi heard a knock at his door. He scrunched his face and then carefully removed the kitten from his lap. It meowed in protest, but he shook his head. It meowed again and Shizusumi sighed. He gave in, scooped it up, and held it against his chest with one hand. He wandered over to the door and thought about how he wasn’t expecting anyone. It could’ve been someone trying to sell him something. That didn’t bother him. If his stoic demeanor didn’t show them he wasn’t interested he’d flat out say so. Either way it’d be a quick conversation then he could figure out what to do about dinner.

Needless to say, he was genuinely surprised when he opened the door to see his neighbor standing there. Though he’d had a frown on his face at first, as soon as the blond noticed the kitten in his arm his expression softened. Hiiragi immediately reached out to pet the fuzzball. Yet again Shizusumi found himself at a loss for words. That seemed to happen a lot when Hiiragi was around. He finally managed to mutter a soft ‘hey’.

“Just got home from work. Figured I’d see how they were doing,” Hiiragi explained.

They? Oh, the cats. Right. Shizusumi had told him that he could come by any time to see them. He supposed that he hadn’t actually expected the guy to do so. He didn’t say anything as Hiiragi took the kitten from his hand. The blond smiled from ear to ear when the little beastie rubbed the top of its head against his cheek. As if on demand, Shizusumi’s gut twisted. He averted his gaze then stepped aside so the blond could enter.

He shut the door behind them and turned around just when he heard Hiiragi laugh loudly then greet the other kittens. The blond talked to the three of them and took their soft mews as responses. He kicked off his shoes then suggested they all go to the living room. Shizusumi watched in awe as the three kittens followed after him obediently.

When everyone was in the living room Shizusumi sat on the couch. He expected the same of his guest but Hiiragi plopped down onto the floor instead. He picked up the closest cat toy he could find, a feathery one on a string, and began to entertain the playful kittens. Shizusumi was sure he’d never seen a more endearing sight than the way that Hiiragi smiled when he interacted with the little animals. Man, he was pretty when he smiled. Well, he was always pretty, but it was almost like he glowed when he smiled so carefreely. Shizusumi wanted nothing more than to stare. His eyes widened when the blond turned towards him.

“Have you named them yet?” Hiiragi asked.

“Not exactly,” Shizusumi rubbed the back of his neck. He looked away from the blond and muttered, “You can help with that if you want.”

Hiiragi made an intrigued sound. He turned back towards the kittens and mulled it over. When he finally had an idea he pointed to them each in turn and said, “Katsudon, Mochi, Ramen.”

Shizusumi blinked a few times. If this was a hint, he’d actually picked up on it for once. He glanced at the blond and replied, “I was just about to order takeout before you showed up.” He paused and looked away again. “Do you want to stay and think about it more over dinner?”

Hiiragi shrugged then said, “Sure, I could eat.”

That much was obvious. Shizusumi bit back his response. Instead he just smiled to himself and watched the blond go right back to entertaining the kittens. The guy sure was a real character. He found that as amusing as it was intriguing.

After giving the kittens some dinner, then having a decent meal themselves, Hiiragi decided he didn’t care for the names he’d suggested earlier. Shizusumi hummed in response. That wasn’t even sort of a surprise.

“That one there is feisty but quickly becomes an affectionate puddle of goo once you scratch in the right spot,” Hiiragi explained as he pointed to the light gray kitten with faint black stripes.

“Mm.” Shizusumi nodded once. He couldn’t help but wonder if Hiiragi was the same way and just where his ‘right spot’ might be.

“Tora for sure. It suits him.” Hiiragi turned towards the kitten which was cream colored. He tilted his head and muttered, “The other guy is clearly Leo.” Then he looked at the last one. She was white as freshly fallen snow, so naturally the best name for her would be–

“Riceball,” Shizusumi said before the blond had a chance. He lifted the kitten to reveal the black spot on her stomach. She laid on her back a lot and Shizusumi noticed the resemblance to one of his favorite snacks almost right away.

Hiiragi snickered at that. He poked that exposed belly then smiled when the kitten wriggled free and ran away. “Can’t argue with that.”

Shizusumi hummed in agreement. He fought back the smile that wanted to spread across his face. Heck he didn’t even know why he wanted to smile. Something about the blond’s energy was just contagious.

Hiiragi stood up and stretched lazily. He yawned, then rubbed the back of his head and muttered, “Man, I’m beat. Since everything looks to be in order here, I guess I’ll head home and go to bed.”

“You sound like the kitten police,” Shizusumi snorted.

“You don’t know that I’m _not_ the kitten police, so you’d better continue to treat them well.” Hiiragi narrowed his eyes at the other man. “Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” Shizusumi nodded.

“Good.” There was an amused gleam in his golden eyes before he turned and started to walk away. One could hear the smirk in his voice as he said, “I’ll see you around.”

*  
  


Shizusumi never thought his life could change so drastically because of something as silly as a trio of kittens. Not only did they keep him on his toes, the mischievous little things, but they were the reason he suddenly had company over a lot more often than not. Hiiragi stopped by all the time over the next few weeks, unannounced, in order to spend some time with them. Shizusumi couldn’t really complain about it. Both the blond and the kittens were delighted when he was there. He rather liked the sight of how happy they were to see one another.

Mostly the blond’s visits revolved around the cats, but sometimes he seemed more interested in spending time with Shizusumi. He complained about his day, he rambled about what anime weren’t worth watching this season, he even grumbled about the sound his alarm clock made. Shizusumi enjoyed every minute of it. It was a treat to listen to the blond get so passionate about a subject that he couldn’t help but flail his limbs a bit. It didn’t take him long to realize that he liked whatever time they spent together, cats or no cats.

There was something special about Hiiragi. Most wouldn’t bother to look for it because of the hard outer shell he wore. Shizusumi could see how that’d be a deterrent to some. However, he also knew that it was a façade. The blond was a lot more complex than he made himself out to be.

Hiiragi was kindhearted and sincere. He was the type of person to cry during sappy movies, though he’d never admit it. The blond couldn’t physically stay up past a certain time no matter how hard he tried. A few of their get-togethers turned into impromptu sleepovers because of that. Shizusumi didn’t mind. He always had an extra blanket available just in case. Actually, he thought it was rather cute if he was being honest. He thought that about most of the blond’s quirky little habits. All in all, he found Hiiragi to be very likable.

As in _likeable_.

It took him a bit longer than he cared to admit to realize it, but Shizusumi found himself quite enamored with the blond. He _would_ fall for the first friend he made since he left home. In just a few short months of getting to know the guy, too. Not that anyone could really blame him. With a smile that made his pulse race and his knees go week, Shizusumi never stood a chance.

In the end he was happy enough to have Hiiragi as a friend. He adored that the blond was comfortable enough around him to do things like fall asleep against his shoulder. It showed trust and vulnerability in his presence. He was honored. Shizusumi glanced at the slumbering vision next to him. Out cold, as expected. He was as predictable as he was adorable. His gaze fell to the limp hand closest to him.

Shizusumi took Hiiragi's hand in his and his heart immediately skipped a beat. Perhaps that wasn’t true at all. Maybe he wanted something more than the friendship he cherished. He let go of the blond’s hand and frowned. Shizusumi turned his head away as he wondered if it was possible that Hiiragi might want something more as well. That seemed… unlikely.

If there were signs of something like that, he was sure he'd pick up on them. Shizusumi sighed then turned back towards the TV to finish watching the movie they’d started. After it was over, he’d tuck his friend in on the couch then head to bed himself. Whether or not he slept a wink wasn’t up to him.

Shizusumi didn’t look up from his phone when he heard the door to his apartment open. He’d left it unlocked because he knew he’d be having company. It was a special occasion, after all. Of course his excitable neighbor would stop by.

“Sorry I’m late!” Hiiragi called from the foyer. He shut then locked the door behind himself and stepped into the apartment. He finally wandered into the living room where Shizusumi sat upon the couch. Hiiragi let out an exasperated groan and said, “I had to check two freaking stores! Can you believe that!”

“For what, exactly?” Shizusumi asked curiously.

“Something every decent celebration needs,” Hiiragi replied with a mischievous grin. He waved a small bag he held in the air teasingly. Then he looked around and muttered, “Where are the guests of honor, anyway?”

“Who knows?” Shizusumi shrugged. “Getting into something they shouldn’t, probably. Either that or getting fur on my freshly washed clothes.”

Hiiragi looked around as he walked into the living room. All the beds were free, so the cats could be anywhere. He sat down next to Shizusumi then grinned and said, “I know how to get their attentions.”

Shizusumi was quite aware of the fact that Hiiragi had sat right next to him. Not on the other end of the couch, no, but close enough so that their shoulders touched. He could smell the familiar scent of the blond’s shampoo. His fingers itched to run through that dyed hair. He didn’t move a muscle. Instead, he simply watched as Hiiragi pulled some cat treats out of the little bag he had and shook them.

Almost immediately they heard the pitter patter of little paws as they hurried to get to the source of the noise. All three cats jumped onto the back of the couch one after the other. They meowed to try and get Hiiragi’s attention. Shizusumi smiled to himself as he watched the blond greet them each in turn with a dazzling smile on his face. He made sure to give them each a treat for coming.

Hiiragi continued to smile as he reached into the bag and removed small party hats. He held them up so Shizusumi could see. “For the guests of honor.”

“Should I get the first aid kit?” Shizusumi teased. He was quite sure that none of the cats would like their new accessories. Still, the way Hiiragi laughed about it after he managed to get one to stay on Leo’s head warmed his heart. He was faster about getting the other two hats on the confused cats. Shizusumi held up his phone and the blond turned towards him with a grin.

Hiiragi gave a v-sign and said, “Happy six-month adoption anniversary!”

Shizusumi hummed and lowered his phone. He reviewed the pictures he’d taken as the cats continued to struggle to free themselves of the awful headgear. They managed to do so and then scurry off before anyone could try to get them dressed again. Hiiragi snickered to himself then turned around and looked down at the phone as well. Shizusumi set the best picture as his background and held it up for the blond to see.

“I guess this would be the six-month anniversary of us becoming friends too, huh?” Shizusumi asked no one in particular. It didn’t feel like so much time had passed. Then again, time tended to stand still while the two of them were together. He wondered if he should’ve worn a bowtie or something. That would've made the occasion seem fancy. Though Hiiragi probably would've just laughed at him if he did. On the plus side the blond’s laughter made his heart flutter so yeah. It would’ve been nice.

“Feeling left out? Jealous of some little kitties?” Hiiragi snorted. He rolled his eyes then reached into the bag and muttered, “Well stop whining I got you something too.”

Shizusumi’s eyes widened. The fact that he clearly hadn't been whining aside, he couldn’t say he expected to hear that. He was too curious to respond. All he could do was watch the blond.

“I guess it’s technically for us,” Hiiragi mumbled. He held up a bottle of wine and posed with it for a moment. Then he offered it to the dark-haired man.

“This vintage…” Shizusumi’s voice trailed off as he took the bottle.

“It’s your favorite, right?” Hiiragi asked as he beamed proudly. He nudged Shizusumi with his elbow and said, “I thought I might as well try it too since you claim it’s the best and all that. I’ll grab glasses.”

Shizusumi grunted softly. He watched the blond practically leap off the couch and leave the room. His gaze returned to the wine in awe. He’d mentioned that it was his favorite once, in passing. He wasn’t even sure Hiiragi had been listening at the time. He sure was full of all sorts of surprises. A familiar warmth blossomed within his chest. It was a feeling only Hiiragi could cause. Shizusumi treasured every second of it.

He hummed when the blond returned and handed him a wine opener. Hiiragi sat back down on the couch and held out the glasses so he could pour. Once finished, Shizusumi set the bottle onto the coffee table. Then he took one of the glasses from the blond with a soft ‘thanks’.

Hiiragi held up his glass and said, “To a friendship I wasn’t looking for, but I can admit I’m glad I found.”

“Mm.” Shizusumi clinked his glass against the blond’s. They both took a sip of the wine afterwards. Shizusumi kept his gaze fixed upon the red liquid as he swirled it around. He was glad they’d become friends as well. He just wished that wasn’t all there was to their relationship. Part of him was so sure that if they were more than friends it'd be wonderful. He looked up when Hiiragi cleared his throat.

Hiiragi turned towards the nearby window and blinked. He was merely thinking out loud as he muttered, “There’s a fireworks show scheduled for later this evening, right?”

“Yeah.” Shizusumi nodded. “I’m going to feed the cats a little bit earlier than usual so they’re not hungry while they hide from all the noise.”

“Ah, I didn’t think they’d be fans.” Hiiragi replied.

“They spent the entirety of the one last month under the blanket with me,” Shizusumi explained. He brought the wine glass to his lips then paused and added, “Though I suppose it was nice to have some company. I don’t much care for fireworks either.”

“I would’ve been there, but I had to work…” Hiiragi muttered mostly to himself. When he realized how that must’ve sounded, he stiffened then shook his free hand and head. “Not been there as in under your blanket! I mean! I would’ve visited the cats to help keep them calm!”

“Since they were under my blanket at the time, I guess that’s exactly where you would’ve been had you visited,” Shizusumi teased. He watched the way that Hiiragi’s cheeks turned pink and he turned his head away from him. The next bit of nonsense the blond muttered was so stinking cute he could hardly stand it.

It took Hiiragi a few moments to regain his composure but when he finally did he cleared his throat and declared, “I’ve got an idea.”

“About?” Shizusumi finished off the wine in his glass. He watched the blond afterwards. There were so many things to be said about how adorable he was right now.

“How to help the cats through the fireworks this time,” Hiiragi explained.

“Ah.”

Hiiragi pretended he didn’t notice the lack of enthusiasm. It was just like the guy not to seem excited about anything. He waved a dismissive hand in the other man’s direction and said, “If you want to go get some dinner started, I can work on my idea in peace.”

“You’re staying, then?” Shizusumi asked. He didn’t mind, it was just always up in the air when it came to the blond. Hiiragi was kind of indecisive and frankly a bit flighty at times. But the company was always welcome.

“Why do you seem surprised?” Hiiragi snorted. He poked Shizusumi in the middle of his chest and added, “You invited me over.”

“That comment from six months ago will eventually lose its worth,” Shizusumi huffed. He stood then tousled the blond’s hair. After that he headed out of the living room and towards the kitchen with a hum.

“Not likely! You love having me around!” Hiiragi called after him.

Shizusumi hadn’t actually planned what he might have for dinner as he didn’t know if he’d be eating alone or not. He supposed something that didn’t take too long made the most sense. A simple fried rice dish sounded good. That way he could get it finished up and feed the cats before the fireworks started. He had to admit that he was a bit curious about what Hiiragi was up to.

Times like these when the two of them acted so domestic felt incredibly natural to him. He did wonder if that was because of his crush or what. Though he enjoyed it, so he didn’t let it bother him. It was nice to have someone to cook for, as well as help keep the cats entertained. He smiled to himself as he continued to prepare their meal.

Hiiragi wandered into the kitchen just as Shizusumi finished plating their dishes. That was some excellent timing. He set the plates onto the kitchen table then turned around to get the cats their dinner too. He stopped when he found that Hiiragi already had the cans open and was about to put them into the bowls. All three cats came barreling into the kitchen and started to meow loudly. Shizusumi huffed in amusement then took his seat at the table. He waited for the blond to join him before he began to eat.

Once they were both done they put their plates in the sink. After that Hiiragi smiled from ear to ear then took Shizusumi’s hand and dragged him through the apartment. He let go when they were in the living room and motioned to his brilliant idea with a proud ‘tada’.

Shizusumi blinked a few times to give the sight before him a chance to register in his head. He hadn’t seen anything remotely similar since he was a child. He glanced at the grinning blond next to him and muttered, “Is that a pillow fort?”

“Of course not!” Hiiragi yelled, completely offended. He motioned towards the propped-up sheets and exclaimed, “It’s a _blanket_ fort!”

A smile played at the edges of Shizusumi’s lips. This guy was seriously proud of such a silly idea. In that case he might as well indulge him. He nodded and hummed, “It looks pretty cozy.”

“You don’t know the half of it!” Hiiragi chirped. He pulled aside one of the sheets and motioned inside. “Try it out.”

“Me? I thought it was for the cats.” Although that did explain why it was so big. If it was meant to accommodate a person as well it’d need to be rather large.

Hiiragi snorted, rolled his eyes, then crawled into the fort. “Of course their beds are in here too! But it’s just as cozy for the humans as well!”

Humans? As in multiple? Shizusumi barely had a chance to process the thought before Hiiragi popped his head out of the tent.

The blond frowned and asked, “You comin’ in or what?”

Shizusumi was at a complete loss for words. He simply did as he was instructed and joined the blond in the fort. The two of them laid on their stomachs and he looked around in awe. It was surprisingly spacious even with them and three occupied cat beds inside. Hiiragi had really thought it through. He turned his attention towards the blond when their shoulders bumped. Hiiragi had that smile on his face again. The one that made Shizusumi feel like he was melting. He bowed his head and rested his forehead against his arms.

“You all right, Shizu?” Hiiragi asked.

“Yeah.”

There was a moment of silence after that. He could actually hear the pout in Hiiragi’s voice when he asked, “Do you not like it?”

“Huh?” Shizusumi lifted his head and looked over at the blond. Beautiful golden eyes blinked slowly as they watched him.

Hiiragi frowned and mumbled, “Well you didn’t even crack a smile, which was the least you could do…”

“Sorry. It’s great, really.” Shizusumi insisted. He turned to look at the content cats behind them. “And they all look quite happy with it too.”

Hiiragi was about to respond but stopped when he heard a soft boom outside. It was followed by another, and more still. The firework show had started. A glance back at the cats and they both saw that none of them seemed bothered in the slightest. The fort was an absolute success.

Shizusumi watched the way the room lit up from the firework display outside. He’d left the blinds open and it was a show in itself. The room almost felt alive with the way it changed colors every other second. He almost wanted to say it was romantic, even with the sounds of the muffled explosions. What a pretty sight.

He supposed he should thank his friend. The guy didn’t have to go through the trouble for the sake of his pets, after all. He rolled just slightly so he laid on his side and turned towards Hiiragi. It just so happened that the blond did the same thing and rolled to face him too. As soon as their eyes met, Shizusumi swore all the oxygen left the room.

He was left breathless as he watched Hiiragi’s cheeks darken. Shizusumi found himself unable to think about anything else. He didn’t remember what they were doing or why he’d turned to face the guy. All he could see was the way Hiiragi’s golden eyes looked at him with such unabashed intensity. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say they were beckoning him closer. He knew that wasn’t possible… and yet…

Shizusumi leaned in, pulled by an unseen force, then paused as if he was unsure. He couldn’t help but wonder if he’d misread the situation. That meant he was about to make a huge mistake. They were just friends, right? Nothing more. To do anything that might change that would be foolish.

He got the answer to his question when Hiiragi took it upon himself to surge forward and press their lips together. Shizusumi’s eyes widened. They fell shut a moment later and he was positive that the fireworks outside couldn’t begin to compare to the ones he swore exploded all around them in the blanket fort. His eyes stayed shut for a moment when they finally broke the kiss. He wanted to savor the feeling.

When Shizusumi finally looked at Hiiragi he found that his whole face was red. It was absolutely the cutest thing he’d ever seen in his life. The blond made some sort of guttural sound then scooted a bit closer and hid his face in his chest. Shizusumi wrapped his arm around him. He couldn’t help but smile like an idiot so he was actually glad Hiiragi wasn’t looking. That kiss was something he’d remember for a long time to come.

“Sorry…” Hiiragi muttered against his chest. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while, but I didn’t want to risk ruining our friendship.”

“I’m pretty sure you just made it better,” Shizusumi hummed. His heart pounded so loudly in his chest that he was sure the blond could hear it. It felt like a dream knowing that his feelings weren’t actually one-sided at all.

Hiiragi finally lifted his head and looked up from his chest. His eyes were flooded with raw, unfiltered emotions. He searched Shizusumi’s brown eyes as he said, “I’ve been meaning to tell you that I–” The words were soft, but his gaze was softer. Yet somehow the unspoken words were loud and clear.

Shizusumi felt that familiar warmth within his chest. Yeah, he knew exactly what Hiiragi was trying to say. He brushed the strands of blond hair aside so he had an unobstructed view of his face. Then he kissed Hiiragi again. This time he didn’t pull away after he broke it. Instead he whispered against his lips, “Me too.”

There was a happy gleam in Hiiragi’s golden eyes. It seemed to be mixed with just a touch of relief. He opened his mouth to respond but jumped instead. Then he turned and looked at his feet and exclaimed, “Ow! Which one of you brats just bit my toe!”

“Poor baby,” Shizusumi snickered. He rubbed his knuckles down Hiiragi’s cheek and purred, “Want me to kiss it better?”

“I’ve got somewhere you can kiss, smartass,” Hiiragi replied without missing a beat. He hooked his leg around Shizusumi and used momentum to roll them both over so he had the dark-haired man pinned. Of course he completely forgot his surroundings in that moment. The whole blanket fort came toppling down around them. It wasn’t built for such roughhousing. They heard the frantic scrape of nails across the floor as the cats scattered. Hiiragi snorted then mumbled, “Serves them right.”

There was an indignant meow from somewhere in the room as if to disagree. The both of them chuckled softly then looked back at one another. Shizusumi reached up and put his hand on the blond’s cheek. He smiled fondly at the way it turned pink almost instantly. That’d never get old. He slid his hand to the back of Hiiragi’s head and pulled him down into a kiss. They had a bit of time to make up for and he didn’t plan on moving from this exact spot until that was done.

**Author's Note:**

> This pairing was teased in chapter 9. Its now chapter 30-something and theyre still not canon. Though theyre both very much In Love. I cant take this. BOYS PLEASE.
> 
> Hiiragi being all cute with the kittens!!! My hearrrrrt… Shizus too…
> 
> I bet you thought the white cat would be Yuki pffffft
> 
> The pic of Hiiragi and the kittens though… Shizu made it his background… immediately TuT<3
> 
> I love this ship so stinking much and I cant stress enough how much id love it if people talked to me about them!!!!!


End file.
